Apr 13 Israel Day 11: Noah Azoulay

After a luxurious sleep in, we woke up at 8am to a hot buffet breakfast waiting for us in the downstairs eating hall. One could feel the excitement in the atmosphere. The sound of chatter and cutlery scraping the plates flooded the room whilst we all waited in anticipation to kick start the day.

After finishing the usual Tefilla service, we shuffled our way into the hotel auditorium. We were greeted by a lady with blonde hair whose name was Charlotte. Charlotte was an employee from an Israel advocacy company called ‘Stand With Us.’ She took us back into the history of Israel from 3000 years ago, through a powerful and engaging presentation. We were taught about the Second Intifada, through her own personal recollection of it, which heightened the personal connection that we had with her presentation. She highlighted her pride to be living in a land such as Israel, and spoke of the people, the culture, and the family-like atmosphere within this beautiful country. I can say with full certainty, that her presentation affected every single one of us on a personal level, and we all walked out of it with a deeper love and appreciation for the land of Israel.

Charlotte's passionate efforts to preach the true history of Israel, inspired us to take action against the wrongful lessons that the media and hostile enemy preach to the masses.

After her presentation, we were led by Neil Lazarus on a tour of the Jerusalem fence line. We were taken to Gilo, and with our own eyes viewed the fences that separated the different parts of the city. Only after seeing the layout of the land myself, was I able to fully appreciate how important these fences are in order to keep Jerusalem as safe as possible. Seeing everything with my own eyes was truly special, and I definitely feel as though I now have a stronger understanding of what is happening in Israel, both socially and politically.

Upon our return to the hotel, we enjoyed a lunch of burgers and chips, whilst discussing the morning with our friends that had been in different groups.

After lunch, we went on a relatively long bus ride to an IDF air force base. Arriving at the base we were told not to take photos, which at first sounded like bad news, but in turn actually made my day. I was able to enjoy the designs of the aircraft and military structure that our soldiers lived and served by.

Inside the base we were given a presentation by two ex-Moriah students who now serve on that base, who taught us how operations were carried out through the IDF air force. It was really fascinating to hear from two boys, who had dropped everything in Sydney to go be a part of something much bigger, and protect the land that they love.

We got home at 8pm and were treated to a delicious, hot dinner. Whilst we are all loving the constant hustle and bustle of IST, I think we are all really looking forward to the upcoming free weekend.